page_title: Lighting control console
section_title: Personal computer-based controllers
hierarchical_section_title: Lighting control console / Types of control consoles / Personal computer-based controllers
caption_attribution_description: A JMS usb2dmx cable with integrated controller.
context_page_description: A lighting control console is an electronic device used in theatrical lighting design to control multiple lights at once. They are used throughout the entertainment industry and are normally placed at the front of house position or in a control booth.
  All lighting control consoles can control dimmers which control the intensity of the lights. Many modern consoles can control Intelligent lighting, fog machines and hazers, and other special effects devices. Some consoles can also interface with other electronic performance hardware to improve synchronization or unify their control.
  Lighting consoles communicate with the dimmers and other devices in the lighting system via an electronic control protocol. The most common protocol used in the entertainment industry today is DMX512, although other protocols may still be found in use, and newer protocols such as ACN and DMX-512-A are evolving to meet the demands of ever increasing device sophistication. Some lighting consoles can communicate over a network via a switch to have more control over more complex systems. A common protocol for this is sACN or Art-Net.
context_section_description: Personal Computer (PC) based controllers are relatively new, and use software with a feature set similar to that found in a hardware-based console.  As dimmers, automated fixtures and other standard lighting devices do not generally have current standard computer interfaces, options such as DMX-512 ports and fader/submaster panels connected via USB are commonplace.
  This system allows a "build-to-fit" approach: the end user initially provides a PC that fits their budget and any other needs with future options to improve the system, for example, by increasing the number of DMX outputs or additional console style panels.
  Many lightboard vendors offer a PC software version of their consoles. Commercial lighting control software often requires a specific, and possibly expensive, hardware DMX interface. However, inexpensive (<$150) DMX PC interfaces and free or Open source software are available.
  Many console vendors also make a software simulator or "offline editor" for their hardware consoles, and these are often downloadable for free. The simulator can be used to pre-program a show, and the cues then loaded into the actual console. In addition, lighting visualization software is available to simulate and approximate how lighting will appear on stage, and this can be useful for programming effects and spotting obvious programming errors such as incorrect colour changes.
caption: A USB-to-DMX connector with integrated controller.
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